cold hands, hot cheeks, boy hair

Category: In Defence Of

It’s that time of year again. The time when that jumper, blazoned with snowflakes, reindeers and christmas puddings, is unearthed for the office party or dinner with the family. It has become a collective, if embarrassing, token of our festive cheer.

But why should the ugly jumper only be for Christmas?

By ‘ugly’ I mean garish, OTT, outlandish and out-dated; the jumpers abandoned in charity shops and vintage markets. They’re hidden gems – the uglier, the better!!

This was my first: an eighties beauty with a bold geometric design found in my local vintage shop. It soon became my go-to “lectures are too early and I can’t be bothered” jumper. It’s bat-wing shape is so comfortable to wear and, with jeans and a simple jacket, can add colour and kookiness to an outfit without any fuss (the pink stripes are interweaved with wisps of white thread).

My next new-old jumper is this zebra print crop found in Cow Vintage. Okay, it’s not exactly ugly, but it’s different to anything I’ve seen in TopShop or Urban Outfitters recently. Its monochrome style means that it can be paired with anything from Levi’s to a pencil skirt.

And finally… my ultimate ugly jumper. Another eighties throwback with bold stripes of different coloured animal print. This jumper knows no bounds when it comes to colour combinations and clashing patterns. Like the first, it has an exaggerated bat-wing sleeve and a loose fit, but it’s gorgeous v-shaped back shows a little bit of flesh in a way that is both unique and feminine.

Throw on a pair of black leather-look jeans and voilà – a complete outfit sans effort, but with tons and tons of character.

Think Jennifer Aniston in the first season of “Friends,” or a young Drew Barrymore. After a short revival last summer, brown lipstick has again disappeared… far far away. It seems to be bundled with other cringeworthy 90’s trends – scrunchies, JNCO jeans and mood rings. But if chokers and jelly sandals can make a proper comeback, there’s surely room for coffee, chocolate and chestnut coloured lips.

I was first interested in trying a brown lipstick after swatching MAC’s ‘Velvet Teddy.’ Thanks to Kylie Jenner, the shade has become extremely popular and I was intrigued to try what’s described as a “deep-toned beige” on my skin. I was really disappointed 😦. It has a warm pink undertone that is very close to my natural lip colour; and if I’m paying £15.50, I want people to notice what I’m wearing!

So before investing in a more expensive brown lipstick, like MAC’s ‘Paramount’ or Bobbi Brown’s ‘Über Beige’ or ‘Über Suede’ (£19.50), I thought I’d test out some cheaper drugstore versions.

The ‘Gateway’ Brown – NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in ‘Stockholm,’ £7.99.

Okay… this isn’t brown. But if you’re not convinced about going all out with a cocoa or latte colour, then why not try a lipstick with a cooler base instead of a pink undertone? This NYX lip cream, which I bought from an eBay stockist, would be a gorgeous nude colour for those with olive skin and, on pale skin, it’s an unusual peachy coral shade. (An added plus: it smells like cake batter!)

As much as I love its matte effect, I think it looks a little flat by itself so here I used Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lipliner in ‘Spice,’ blending the colour into the centre of my lips to create an ombre effect.

Aah, I love this colour! It has a rich taupe pigment which means the colour pay off is great and makes a definite statement; it’s caramel shade is unlike anything I’ve tried before.

I do think that brown lipstick is more versatile than people give it credit for. With minimal eye make-up, it can add a kooky edge to your face with almost no effort needed. With bold dark eyes, it perfectly compliments almost any colour eyeshadow, but particularly suits metallic shades – copper, bronze and gold – that are so on trend at the moment.

For this look I began with Rimmel’s ‘Coffee Shimmer,’ a super glossy russet coloured lipstick. The colour is nice, if a little nondescript, so I wanted to add a little bit more interest. As strange as it seems, my Scandaleyes shadow stick was a worthy stand-by. It has the same smooth texture and glossy finish that I would want from a lipstick and helped to cool down the warm reddish tones of ‘Coffee Shimmer.’

I don’t know quite how to describe it, but brown lipstick has a way of bringing your whole face ‘together.’ Where a pink-nude lip is subtle, almost meant to be ignored, and a red lip demands it’s own attention, a brown shade is somewhere between the two, perfectly complimenting and completing your look.